Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have (1) made, and (2) intend to make, to the government of Israel about reports of the killing of a 15 year old Palestinian, and injuries to others, by Israeli forces at Jabal al-Arma.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst we have not made representations on this specific incident, the Government is very concerned at the high numbers of Palestinians, including children, killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the West Bank and Gaza.

West Bank: Roads

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have (1) made, and (2) intend to make, to the government of Israel about reports of the construction of a Palestinian-only road to connect the northern and southern parts of the West Bank, with the reported aim of separating Israelis and Palestinians driving in that area.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: While we have not made representations on these reports, we consistently call for an immediate end to all actions that undermine the viability of a future Palestinian state. We urge Israel to halt its settlement expansion, and related activities which hasten the fragmentation of the occupied West Bank. Settlements are contrary to international law and damaging to renewed efforts to launch peace negotiations. We want to see a contiguous West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as part of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders.

Israel: Occupied Territories

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL1981), what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel about that country's compliance with international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have a regular dialogue with the government of Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa stressed the importance of Israel complying with international law during a meeting with the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 12 March.

Israeli Settlements: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the remarks by Hana Ashrawi, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, that the government of Israel is allowing armed settlers to “terrorise” Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Whilst we have not made a specific assessment of these remarks, we condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians.

British Nationals Abroad

lord wallace of saltaire: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total number of UK citizens resident outside the UK; andwhether they are confident in the accuracy ofthat estimate.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We do not register British nationals abroad, and do not therefore have numbers of British nationals in each country.

Russia: Crimea

lord grocott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Russia's activities in the Crimean Peninsula.

baroness sugg: On 18 March the Foreign Secretary made a statement condemning the illegal annexation of Crimea and called on Russia to release the 90 political prisoners held in Crimea and Russia, and end its unlawful control of the peninsula.The Russian illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 was a flagrant violation of a number of Russia's international commitments, including under the UN Charter, the OSCE Helsinki Final Act and the Budapest memorandum. The UK's position is clear - we will never recognise Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea. Russia must fully respect Ukraine's independence and territorial integrity. The ongoing militarisation of the peninsula, together with restrictions imposed by Russia on international shipping passing through the Kerch Strait, presents a serious security threat to the Black Sea region. We are also deeply concerned about the ongoing human rights violations experienced by ethnic and religious minorities in Crimea. What Russia has done and continues to do in Crimea breaches its obligations under international law and presents a serious challenge to the international rules-based order.

Northern Ireland Office

Armed Forces: Northern Ireland

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the (1) government of Ireland, and (2) political parties in Northern Ireland about the commitments for the Armed Forces and veterans contained in New Decade, New Approach, published on 9 January.

viscount younger of leckie: The commitments in New Decade, New Approach were agreed by all the NI political parties as well as the UK and Irish Governments. The Northern Ireland Office has been working with the Ministry of Defence and senior officials in the departments of Health, Communities and Education to make progress on Armed Forces Covenant legislation. Work is also underway with the Office of Veterans Affairs and veterans’ organisations in Northern Ireland to establish an NI Veterans Commissioner and carry out a review of the veterans’ Aftercare Service. As these are domestic commitments to be delivered by the UK Government, discussions with the Irish Government are not necessary. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will continue to work with the First Minister and deputy First Minister to implement New Decade, New Approach. As part of this he will update them on the progress that is being made on the Government’s commitments and seek their support in implementing an effective policy that works for all stakeholders.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Taiwan

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the success of measures adopted in Taiwan to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

lord bethell: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 23 March 2020.The correct answer should have been:

United Kingdom officials continue to work closely with key multinational partners to ensure that the Government’s response to COVID-19 is guided by the international situation, the advice of organisations such as the World Health Organization, surveillance, data modelling and the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which provides expert medical scientific advice.The Deputy Chief Medical Officer is due to have a conversation with key experts in Taiwan to learn further information about their approach. We are enormously grateful for the support from others around the world,foreign countries like including Taiwan.

lord bethell: United Kingdom officials continue to work closely with key multinational partners to ensure that the Government’s response to COVID-19 is guided by the international situation, the advice of organisations such as the World Health Organization, surveillance, data modelling and the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, which provides expert medical scientific advice.The Deputy Chief Medical Officer is due to have a conversation with key experts in Taiwan to learn further information about their approach. We are enormously grateful for the support from others around the world,foreign countries like including Taiwan.

Department for International Development

Palestinians: Textbooks

lord pickles: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether UK aid supports the Palestinian Authority’s production of school textbooks.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK does not fund textbooks in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Our education funding to the PA contributes to the salaries of carefully vetted education public servants, including teachers. Following allegations of incitement in the Palestinian Authority’s school textbooks, the UK secured agreement from our European partners to lead an independent review of the textbooks, which is underway. We expect interim findings by June 2020 and full findings later in the year.

Migrant Camps: Coronavirus

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact ofCOVID-19 in refugee campsin (1) Lesbos, and (2) elsewhere.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Department for International Development (DFID) is supporting the UK’s global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 and help the most vulnerable, including refugees in camps and settlements as well as host communities. The UK has committed up to £241 million of UK aid to support the global efforts to combat the outbreak of COVID-19.DFID recognises that refugees may be vulnerable to acquiring diseases such as COVID-19. The UK is already helping to prevent the spread of diseases like coronavirus in refugee camps around the world, through providing access to clean water and sanitation.The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are not aware of any cases of COVID-19 in refugee camps at present.The UK Government is concerned about the risk of coronavirus in relation to the migrant camps in Greece, given the overcrowding and limited medical facilities in camps on the islands. The Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum announced emergency measures to contain potential coronavirus outbreaks in the migrant camps. Our Embassy in Athens continues to closely follow developments.UN Resident Coordinators have been tasked by WHO to assess these risks and consider needs at country level, which will include refugee populations. The International Development Secretary has spoken with Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and agreed to work together to minimise the impact of this crisis on refugees.

Department for Education

Free Schools: Special Educational Needs

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Berridge on 4 March (HL Deb, col 692), when the 48 special free schools "in the pipeline" are expected to open.

baroness berridge: 4 of the 48 special free schools in the pipeline have funding agreements in place and are due to open in 2020; 1 in April 2020 and 3 in September 2020. Up to a further 9 schools are also expected to open in 2020, although these do not yet have funding agreements in place. The remaining 35 schools are at a different stage in their development and we will confirm opening dates for them in due course.

Special Educational Needs

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the length of time it takes on average for a child to travel to a special school compared with a child travelling to a mainstream school.

lord touhig: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children use home-to-school transport to attend special schools compared with children attending mainstream school.

baroness berridge: Information published in November 2019 by the Local Government Association in conjunction with census data indicates that more than 98% of pupils aged 5-16 attending special schools receive free home to school transport. This compares with around 5% of pupils attending mainstream school.We have not carried out an assessment of the length of time it takes for a child to travel to a special school compared with a child travelling to a mainstream school.The statutory home to school transport guidance suggests that good practice journey times should not exceed 45 minutes for primary aged pupils or 75 minutes for secondary aged pupils. It also acknowledges that journeys for children with special educational needs and disabilities may be more complex and, therefore, take longer. The guidance is available at the following link and attached: www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.



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National Skills Fund

baroness redfern: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the £3 billion national skills fund announced in the 2019 Conservative manifestois available to small businesses for apprenticeships.

baroness berridge: Over the course of this Parliament, the government will provide an extra £2.5 billion (£3 billion including indicative Barnett consequentials) for a new National Skills Fund. The Fund is part of a dramatic rebooting of our skills system and will help workers to have the skills they need to flourish and fulfil their potential.To decide how best to develop the National Skills Fund, the government is planning to consult widely on the National Skills Fund, to ensure the fund provides the best return on investment.The insights gained will help to build an understanding of how to target the fund and what types of training it should cover, to ensure it best supports people to learn new skills and prepare for future changes to the economy.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Oxford-Cambridge Arc

lord lansley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theirPlanning for the future policy paper, published on 12 March, whether the proposed development corporations in the Oxford–Cambridge Arc will be (1) new town, (2) urban, (3) locally-led new town, or (4) mayoral,development corporations.

lord lansley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to theirPlanning for the futurepolicy paper, published on 12 March, under what legislation they are planning to bring forward proposals for the four development corporations in the Oxford–Cambridge Arc.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: The Government will examine the most suitable delivery vehicles and associated legislation for bringing forward development at scale and meeting our objectives for sustainability and high-quality design. This will include looking at the case for Government using its own powers to establish new town or urban development corporations. Any development corporation, whether proposed by Government or local bodies, should always entail appropriate community involvement.

Rents: Coronavirus

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to issue a rent break to tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: On 18 March, we announced a radical package of measures to protect renters and landlords affected by coronavirus. Emergency legislation has been taken forward as an urgent priority so that landlords will not be able to start proceedings to evict tenants for at least a three-month period. As a result of these measures, no renters in private or social accommodation need to be concerned about the threat of eviction. As such, the Government does not believe a ‘rent holiday’ is necessary at this stage. Further details of this announcement are at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/complete-ban-on-evictions-and-additional-protection-for-renters .

Rough Sleeping

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many rough sleepers there are in England.

baroness bloomfield of hinton waldrist: My Department’s latest official annual Rough Sleeping Snapshot Statistics published on 27 February 2020 provide information about the estimated number of people sleeping rough across local authorities in England on a single night in Autumn.There were 4,266 people estimated to be sleeping rough across England on a single night in Autumn 2019. This is down by 411 people or 9% from last year and down 10% from the peak in 2017.These statistics are available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2019.This Government is clear that no one should be without a roof over their head. That is why we have committed to end rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament and to enforce the Homelessness Reduction Act.In 2020/2021 the Government is providing £492 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. This marks a £124 million increase in funding from the previous year and will go towards funding important programmes such as the Rough Sleeping Initiative, Homelessness Reduction Grant and Flexible Homelessness Support Grant.

Department for Work and Pensions

Statutory Sick Pay: Coronavirus

baroness sherlock: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether statutory sick paywill be payable to employees (1)who are not sick but are self-isolating because someone in their household has symptoms that could indicateCOVID-19, and (2) who are not sick but are self-isolating because they are over 70 or have an underlying health condition.

baroness stedman-scott: As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have made clear, the Government will do whatever it takes to support people affected by COVID 19 and we have been clear in our intention that everyone should be supported to do the right thing.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Pesticides

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a reduction in the use of pesticides will be necessary in order to meet the targets set out in their policy paperA Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is clear that it is right to minimise the use of pesticides and is committed to putting Integrated Pest Management at the heart of its approach, to make the greatest possible use of alternative pest and disease control methods in support of sustainable farming and land management. This will support the goals and targets of our 25 Year Environment Plan.

Agriculture and Fisheries

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for any delay in dealing with the Agriculture Bill and the Fisheries Bill for preparations for (1) the UK’s departure from the transition period at the end of December, and (2) businesses adjusting to the new regimes.

lord gardiner of kimble: We are working to ensure that essential Parliamentary business can continue as far as possible during this period. With reference to the Agriculture Bill, the Government remains committed to reforming English agricultural policy, so that we can reward our farmers and land managers for protecting our environment, improving animal welfare and providing a supply of healthy, home-grown produce. We know that farmers and land managers need as much certainty as possible. The Government will reflect on any delays to Parliamentary business and legislation and provide more information in due course. The Government remains committed to progressing the Fisheries Bill. The Bill will allow us to manage our fisheries more sustainably and appropriately after the transition period. As with agriculture, however, we know that fishers need certainty. This is why the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 will convert the body of EU law in force at that time into retained EU law, appropriately amended by statutory instruments. We continue to work closely with stakeholders to ensure they are informed and prepared.

Agriculture: Pest Control

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) legislative, and (2) policy, measuresthey plan to put in place to (a) encourage UK farmers to adopt a whole system integrated pest management approach, and (b) discouragesuch farmers from not adopting such an approach.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government is continuing to develop its approach to pesticides. The National Action Plan for the Sustainable use of Pesticides will be published for consultation later this year and will be the first step in this process. It will detail our plans to support Integrated Pest Management at a whole farm level.

Pesticides

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government when the National Action Plan for the Sustainable Use of Pesticides will be published; and what measuresthat Plan willcontain toreduce the level of (1) pesticide use, and (2) pesticide-related harms to human health and the environment.

lord gardiner of kimble: We will publish a consultation on the National Action Plan for the Sustainable use of Pesticides later this year. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) will be at the heart of our holistic approach to encourage and support measures to minimise pesticide use and potential related harms to human health and the environment. IPM means that sustainable biological, physical and other non-chemical methods of pest control are preferred to chemical methods.

Pesticides: Insects

lord hoyle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the affect of pesticides on trends in the number of insects dying in the UK.

lord gardiner of kimble: Insects are an essential part of our environment and pollinating insects play a crucial role in food production. Government research has shown that a major pressure on pollinating insects has been the loss of flower-rich habitats but there are several other threats, which are likely to interact, including climate change, land use intensification, invasive species, disease and inappropriate pesticide use. The Government has not made a direct assessment of the impact of pesticides on other insect populations. We ensure that the use of pesticides is only authorised where detailed scientific assessment finds that this will not harm people or have unacceptable effects on the environment (including on insects). The UK supports the current restrictions on the use of neonicotinoid insecticides that were put in place in 2018 to protect pollinating insects. We will maintain these restrictions unless the scientific evidence changes. Since 2014, the Government has been working with a range of partners on the National Pollinator Strategy to address the various threats and help pollinators to thrive. There is strong scientific evidence that by increasing habitat for insects, we support long-term population increases and we are working to that end with farmers, businesses and conservation organisations.

Home Office

Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill

the lord bishop of bristol: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 9 March (HL1722), when they will publish an impact assessment for the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2020; and whether any such assessment will consider the relationship between changes in low-skilled migration and labour exploitation.

baroness williams of trafford: An impact assessment is being developed and will be published in due course.

Migrant Workers: Ministers of Religion

the lord bishop of durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there will be any changetothe existing requirements for a Temporary Worker-Religious Worker visa (Tier 5)under the new points-based immigration system.

baroness williams of trafford: Under the current Immigration Rules, there are a range of routes for specialist activities, including temporary religious workers. From January 2021, these routes will be opened to EEA and Swiss citizens.

Cabinet Office

Written Questions

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there have been any changes to the Cabinet Office document Drafting answers to parliamentary questions: guidance since 2 February 2011; and what assessment they have made of the compliance of the Written Answers by Lord True on 11 March (HL2127, HL2128, HL2129, HL2130, HL2131 and HL2132) with this guidance (1) in general, and (2) with specific reference to paragraphs three and five of that document.

lord true: This Government takes parliamentary accountability very seriously. The Cabinet Office complies with guidance on written Parliamentary Questions. This guidance is regularly reviewed and frequent discussions take place across Whitehall regarding possible improvements in the answering of questions from parliamentarians.The information requested in the Parliamentary Questions HL2127, HL2128, HL2129, HL2130, HL2131 and HL2132 remains a policy in development. Parliament will be updated in due course in the usual manner as the policy, and its delivery, progresses.

Elections: Subversion

lord tyler: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the responses byEarl Howe on 29 January (HL Deb, col 1438) and 12 February (HL Deb, col 2264) and reports that they have changed their public position as to whether there have been successful examples of Russian disinformation affecting elections in the UK, what recent assessment they have made of evidence of Russian interference in the (1) 2016 EU referendum, (2) 2017 General Election, and (3) 2019 General Election.

lord true: It is and always will be an absolute priority to protect our democratic and electoral processes. As previously stated, the government examines all aspects of the electoral process following an election, including foreign interference. That work is ongoing following the December 2019 General Election.The Government saw no evidence of successful interference in the 2016 EU referendum or the 2017 General Election.

Subversion: Russia

baroness hayter of kentish town: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Intelligence and Security Committee about the publication of the report on the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum; and in particular, when that report may be published.

lord true: In line with his responsibilities in the Justice and Security Act 2013, the Prime Minister carefully considered and approved the report, and is content that its publication would not prejudice the functions of those bodies that safeguard our national security.We acknowledge the public’s interest in the publication of the report, however the report itself is the property of the independent ISC, as such it is not for the Government to publish ISC reports; it is for the ISC to lay them before Parliament. Once a new Committee has been established, it will be up to them to choose when they wish to publish it. The process to establish a new Committee has already begun.

UK Trade with EU

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of fair competition in the trade negotiations between the UK and EU following December 2020.

lord true: The Political Declaration (Section XIV) set out our commitment to discuss open and fair competition as part of negotiations on our future relationship with the EU and the Government are committed to doing so. The Government will of course keep Parliament and the public updated about the progress of negotiations.

Treasury: Billing

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce the time taken to pay their subcontractors.

lord true: The Government should set a strong example by paying subcontractors promptly. Our commitment is to pay 90% of undisputed and valid invoices from small and medium-sized enterprises within 5 days and 100% of all undisputed and valid invoices within 30 days. Government departments are required to report their performance against these payment targets on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK.Through the Public Contract Regulations 2015, public sector buyers must include 30-day payment terms in new public sector contracts; and require that this payment term be passed down the supply chain. Since 1 September 2019, suppliers risk being excluded from winning large government contracts if they cannot demonstrate prompt payment.

Treasury

Treasury: North of England

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the 750 Treasury roles due to be moved to a new ‘economic campus’ in the North of England will be recruited from the local labour market; how many of these roles will be (1) of Grade 7 or below, and (2) of Grade SCS1 and above; and when they expect these roles will be filled.

lord agnew of oulton: As announced at the Budget on 11 March, the government will establish a significant new campus in the north of England focused on economic decision making. It will contain at least 750 roles, made up of teams from HMT, BEIS, DIT and MHCLG. We expect the implementation timetable to be set out at the forthcoming Spending Review, though we hope the new office will be fully operational by the end of this Parliament. The exact grade mix and range of roles that the Treasury will provide has yet to be finalised, and is subject to internal consultation with the teams involved. However, we expect a full range of roles and grades, including SCS, to be represented. The Treasury roles will be filled with a mixture of local recruitment and staff who choose to relocate.

Retail Trade: Coronavirus

lord allen of kensington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that (1) retail workers, and (2) the retail sector, are compensated for loss of earnings and revenue resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak.

lord agnew of oulton: The government has unveiled a comprehensive and sizable package of direct fiscal support for business through tax relief and cash grants. Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors in England will not have to pay business rates for 12 months, to support firms with costs and cashflow. This includes £25,000 for retail leisure and hospitality businesses up to £51,000 rateable value, and £10,000 for smaller retail, leisure and hospitality businesses, and several hundred thousand businesses eligible for small business or rural rate relief. We will also support businesses by deferring Valued Added Tax (VAT) payments for 3 months, Taxpayers will be given until the end of the 2020-21 tax year to pay any liabilities that have accumulated during the deferral period. Retailers can also access other support mechanisms, including Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans. Under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers with a PAYE scheme will be able to access support to continue paying employees 80% of their wages, up to £2,500 per month, to safeguard workers from being made redundant.

Inheritance Tax

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how longHer Majesty's Revenue and Customstakes toprocess inheritance tax account forms and returnIHT421forms as a receipt of tax paid; and whether there is a service-level agreement for this.

lord agnew of oulton: HMRC’s published target for processing the IHT400 account form (establishing tax liability) and, if appropriate, issuing the IHT421 to HM Courts and Tribunal Service is 80% within 15 days. In 2018/19 HMRC met this target, and they continue to do so. HMRC regularly monitor their cases so that the small number that fall outside this target are processed. In light of the impact of Covid-19, HMRC are monitoring demand and resource across all workloads and there may be fluctuations in performance over the coming months.

Inheritance Tax

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how longHer Majesty's Revenue and Customs takes to refund overpaid inheritance tax; and whether there is a service-level agreement forsuch refunds.

lord agnew of oulton: There are different types of work that will lead to repayments of overpaid tax. However, HMRC do not record this information specifically for Inheritance Tax.

Red Diesel

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatplans they have, if any, to remove the entitlement to use red diesel in agriculture, fish farming and rail beyond 2022; and if so, what support they will provide to those industries to improve their energy efficiency or source greener alternatives.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government has no current plans to review the entitlement to use red diesel in agriculture, fish farming and rail. However, the Government still expects these users of red diesel to improve the energy efficiency of their vehicles and machinery, or to look for greener alternatives. To support the development of these alternatives, the Government has committed to at least a doubling of the size of the Energy Innovation Programme, accelerating the design and production of innovative clean energy technologies.

Crowdfunding

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they, or the Financial Conduct Authority, have taken any action to (1) monitor, or (2) issue guidance, to peer-to-peer lenders about whethernew client inflows should be used to support previous borrowers experiencing financial difficulty and funded by earlier investors.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government monitors the peer-to-peer lending sector on an ongoing basis and engages regularly with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), who are responsible for the regulation of the sector.The FCA is operationally independent from Government. The second part of the question, as it relates to the FCA, has been passed on to the FCA. The FCA will reply directly to Lord Myners by letter, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Credit: Insurance

lord myners: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they plan to take to prevent credit insurers unilaterally withdrawing cover.

lord agnew of oulton: The government is discussing with UK authorities, businesses and the insurance industry, the impact of COVID-19 on the trade credit insurance market. As the Chancellor announced on Tuesday 17 March the government would do whatever it takes to get our nation through the impacts of COVID-19 and that he stands ready to announce further action wherever necessary.

Schools: Coronavirus

lord lexden: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with insurance companies about whether independent schools, particularly small independent schools, are able to obtain compensation for business interruption as a result of the COVID-19 emergency measures.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government is in continual dialogue with the insurance sector about its contribution to handling this unprecedented situation. It is also working closely with these educational institutions to understand the financial implications of COVID-19 and to provide financial support where it is needed and is appropriate. For those businesses and charities which have an appropriate policy that covers pandemics and unspecified notifiable diseases, including independent schools, the Government’s social distancing advice of both 16 and 20 March is sufficient to allow them to make a claim against their insurance, provided the other terms and conditions in their policy are met. The FCA’s rules require insurers to handle claims fairly and promptly; provide reasonable guidance to help a policyholder make a claim, and appropriate information on its progress; not reject a claim unreasonably; and settle claims promptly once settlement terms are agreed. Insurance policies differ significantly, so businesses are encouraged to check the terms and conditions of their specific policy and contact their providers. However, most businesses and charities have not purchased insurance that covers losses from COVID-19. The Government recognises that businesses and charities who do not have appropriate insurance cover will require support from elsewhere. As such, they should explore the full package of support set out by the Chancellor in the Budget, on 17 March, and on 20 March. As the Chancellor announced on Tuesday 17 March, the Government will do whatever it takes to get our nation through the impacts of COVID-19.

Theatres: Coronavirus

lord smith of finsbury: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to allow theatres and other cultural venues to automatically be able to claim Gift Aid when patrons agree to donate to the venue the value of their tickets for an event cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord agnew of oulton: Theatres and other cultural venues recognised as charities by HMRC can claim Gift Aid on freely given donations, as opposed to payments for goods or services; such as admission tickets. These charities can claim Gift Aid on the value of tickets for cancelled events if the patrons have agreed not to be refunded for the cost of the ticket and agree for the same amount to be treated as a donation. Additionally, the charity will also need to make sure the patrons have made a Gift Aid declaration for their donations to qualify for Gift Aid, confirming that they have, or will have, paid enough tax to cover the amount the charity will claim on their donations.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Gender Recognition

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Barran on 11 March (HL2275), what is their policy on the inclusion of biologically male athletes in women's sports.

baroness barran: Decisions regarding the involvement of trans people in competitive sport is a matter for individual governing bodies and international federations. UK Sport and Sport England encourage National Governing Bodies (NGBs) to carefully consider all sides of the debate, and access the best and most up to date research before making decisions. UK Sport’s funding agreements require NGBs to ensure all World Class Programme athletes comply with the eligibility criteria of the relevant International Federation and competition governing body. In addition, both UK Sport and Sport England require all NGBs receiving public money to be compliant with UK equality legislation. To support NGBs, the Sports Council Equality Group (SCEG) which includes Sport England, Sport Wales, Sport Scotland, Sport Northern Ireland and UK Sport is currently working to provide an up to date picture of the current landscape in both domestic and elite sport, to ultimately enable the best and fairest decisions to be made by our NGBs around transgender athletes in sport. This should be available before the end of the year.

Music: Coronavirus

lord clement-jones: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the self-employed working in the music sector in the UK.

baroness barran: The Chancellor has announced measures to protect the self-employed. So long as they fulfil the criteria for these measures, freelancers and the self employed in the music industry benefit from these measures. The Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will support self-employed individuals (including members of partnerships) whose income has been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The scheme will provide a grant to self-employed individuals or partnerships, worth 80% of their profits up to a cap of £2,500 per month. HMRC will use the average profits from tax returns in 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 to calculate the size of the grant. Individuals should not contact HMRC now. HMRC will use existing information to check potential eligibility and invite applications once the scheme is operational. HMRC will then pay the grant directly to eligible claimants’ bank account. HMRC is urgently working to deliver the scheme; grants are expected to start to be paid out by beginning of June 2020.